Delusions and Reality
by Ian-the-Existential-Crisis
Summary: Octavio, determined to not be everything his controlling father wants him to be, sneaks out. Maybe it should have been the last time he went to Paradise Lounge when his fake I.D. got taken by a flirty bartender, but no. He doesn't want to be a good boy anymore. But going back is proving to be a problem. Especially when Elliott has a special way of punishing brats like him..
1. Chapter 1

Ajay had warned him many, many times, over and over again even though he never listened to her. Don't be an idiot. As if he would ever listen to her. What did she know anyway?

Octavio was his own person. He wasn't going to be the perfect son his old man tried molding him into. A proper son, modeled in his image, ready to step up and take over the family pharmaceutical business after med school.

But that shit was never happening. Not if Octavio got a say in anything. Sure, as of right now he was in his senior year of high school, and he had great grades despite looking like a total punk. And yeah, he hadn't really had a choice in anything other than his secret online life as Octane (but that was all hush hush, if his dad found out is stuns would be over before he even knew it).

Things were going to change though! He wasn't sure how, but they would. He couldn't spend the rest of his days under his father's thumb. And if that meant not listening to his childhood friend, and doing something completely stupid so be it. What was the worst that could happen, right?

So, really, he had nobody to blame but himself for the predicament he found himself in. As a young student… uh, man, on a Thursday night, he probably should have been home, hanging out with friends, or really anywhere that wasn't the Paradise Lounge, in Solace City, which was, uh, probably about a good three hour drive from where he lived in Psamathe. His first time actually sneaking out, other than to perform his stunts for his adoring fans, he found himself in a bar of all places. Good thing that Octane was twenty-four, even if Octavio was only eighteen.

Well, maybe being in Paradise wasn't so bad, but the woman that planted herself next to his, hand cupping his knee, (was it slowly working it's way up his leg? He didn't want to think about it) was the real problem. She smelled as if she drenched herself in a flowery perfume, which normally wouldn't be so bad, but did she have to bathe in it? And her make-up… Octavio was sure that clowns did a better job than she had. But what did he know, She could have been drunk when she was trying to smear that lipstick on.

Then, worst of all, she spoke. "Hey there handsome, what's a fine young man like you doing in a place like this?"

She did have a nice voice, Octavio had to hand or to her, but her perfume did little against the booze on her breath.

"Just trying to enjoy my drink, ma'am." He added the last part, hoping that if he made her feel like she was older than him maybe, just maybe she would back off.

Luck was not on his side when I came to things other than death defying stunts. "Oh, what a polite young thing you are. Maybe I could buy your next round and we could get to know each other a little better."

When she leaned him to whisper the last part in his ear, he wanted to slide away, but if he had, he probably would have ended up on his butt on the floor. Did people just not understand subtle hints as they became adults? Well, Octavio considered himself an adult, and he sure picked up when someone was trying to put him down.

"Hey sweetheart." Octavio heard someone call to the woman. "Why flirt with a kid like that when I'm right here?"

His eyes finally landed on the person speaking to this woman, who seemed to straighten. He stood behind the bar, his white shirt tucked into black pants, as most of the bartenders there were wearing.

"Oh, it's you again." She frowned.

"It is." The bartender grinned back as if she hadn't just hinted at insulting him. "And might I say you are looking extra- esxra- you're looking really good tonight."

"Oh just stop it Witt. Your lines don't work on me." She huffed, grabbing her purse from the counter and leaving only to go to another seat, this time with a few more people.

"She did not like you amigo." Octavio gave a small laugh.

"You win some, you lose some." The bartender (what had she called him? Witt?) shrugged. "But I'll ask the same question. What's a young man like you doing in a place like this?"

"I have an I.D." Was probably not the first thing Octavio should have said. Especially not as rushed as he did. It was like the words couldn't get out of his mouth fast enough.

"I'm sure you do." He leaned over the bar, letting the curly mess that was his hair flop over the right side of his face. "But is it real?"

The smile the man flashed at him made Octavio's face brighten. Not cool!

"It's real!"

"If you say so. But just so you know, I heard that the owner has a special punishment for all the minors he finds using fake I.D.s."

He had the, totally not fake, I.D. out of his wallet and on the counter in mere seconds, as if it would prove his innocence. As if it could, because he technically wasn't twenty-four. "Wh-"

"Elliott!" Another voice rang out. Octavio wasn't sure where it came from or if it was even a man's voice or a woman's voice, all the sounds in this place started to blend together.

The bartender clicked his tongue looking over towards where, Octavio could only assume, the voice came from. "I have to go. But…" He reached down grabbing the plastic card. "I'll keep this for you, for the time being. I'm sure you'll be back to get it sooner or later."

"Hey! You can't just-"

"See you around, Octane." He walked off with the fake, and only piece of identification, Octavio had in him.

* * *

Friday did not prove to be positive either. He should have just stayed in bed the moment he woke up, half an hour late. Really he shouldn't even have tried. Nox chewed him out for being late to class. But his science teacher always had such a hard on for getting him in trouble it made him wonder if it was a personal grudge or something. And it wasn't until lunch, with Ajay annoying the hell out of him asking him about the night prior, that he realized he had forgotten his filming equipment. No holovid today. There was no way he would be able to sneak back into his house to grab any if his gear and make it back out without being seen. He could never be that lucky, even though that was the true death defying act.

"Tav, what were you doing last night?" Ajay asked again, more annoyed that he had been blatantly ignoring her for the last few minutes.

"Nothing as boring as this." He groaned.

"Well, first ya skip out on studying with me, then ya come in late. What were you doing Tav?" She asked more forceful than before.

"I went out."

"Out where?"

"Does it matter?" He asked frustrated.

"It does if you don't want your father to find out."

He just looked at her. He had known Ajay for most of his life and he couldn't believe this pink-haired, tiny, optimistic woman would dare to blackmail him. "Solace… to the Paradise Lounge."

"Is that all?"

_Is that all? _"What the hell else would I be doing?" He yelled gaining a few glares from some of their fellow students, but mostly they just glanced and went back to whatever conversation they had been on after a mere moment.

"Ya do crazy things Tav, all the time. And ya think I wouldn't be worried about ya telling your dad that ya were studying with me, but leaving your phone off so when I call ya, after he called me, I don't even get to know if you're alive. If ya want to use me as a scapegoat, ya need to tell me whatcha planning and when. Or else I'm not covering for ya."

Octavio frowned at her, pushing his lunch tray away. It was just a stupid soggy Salisbury steak and crappy potatoes, not to much of a lost if he didn't feel like eating it. And he didn't. He probably would have brought something if he had more time in the morning.

"I was just at the bar. But the stupid bartender took away my I.D. so I'm going to have to go get it back. Would you mind cover for me tonight too?"

"Maybe."

"Come on Ajay, you've always been my lifeline. The one person who helps me no matter how bad I fuck up. Just help me get it back. You don't even have to come."

"Good cause I don't plan on coming. Be off with ya. I won't say anything this time."


	2. Chapter 2

**_I thought of dropping out of this fandom for a moment. Too bad Crypto was released and forced me back. Expect to see him later on. Also, sometimes I forget to update here since I post everything on AO3 first, reviews help me to remember. _**

So it was official. The bouncer at the Paradise Lounge was a total dick. Well, he was just doing his job, but how the hell was Octavio supposed to get into the bar to get his I.D. back if he couldn't get into the stupid place, because of this asshole, without one?

After about the sixth time of trying to convince the hulking brute, Octavio threw his hands in the arm. "This is so lame! I'm going home!"

The giant looked as if he was about to say something, but the voice that graced Octavio's ears definitely sounded familiar. "Leaving already?"

And yup, turning around he could see one Elliot Witt leaning against the bouncer. His smug shit-eating grin perfectly in place, matching his crappy attitude.

"Well duh." Octavio drawled.

"So are you saying you don't want this back?" Witt dangled the card, letting it gently hitting the giant's shoulder.

Octavio glared at him. If only looks could kill, this old man would have been dead twenty times over. How dare this asshole stand there, with that smug look on his face, stole card in hand, acting like they were on friendly terms?

"He's good Makoa." Elliot tapped the bouncer's shoulder.

"Are ya sure my brotha?" The giant's brown eyes shifted between the two. Apparently even this guy thought the bartender was being weird. So ha! It wasn't just Octavio who got a bad vibe from this.

"I'm sure." Elliott's cheeky grin never left his face. "Besides kinda hard to to an interview out here."

"An interview?" Octavio questioned. He had to be kidding. He was still a student, he couldn't work here. There was no way his father….

"As punishment for lying, I plan to put you to work."

It wasn't such a bad idea. He could make his own money here that would help pay for the part of his life he kept his father out of. And if he had any trouble at school he could just 'nicely ask' Ajay to help him.

But he wasn't going to give in that easily. So instead he crossed his arms as he followed Elliott and scowled. "Oh yeah? How's that supposed to work? I have school. Duuh." He made the 'u' impossibly long to emphasize what a bad plan this was.

"Well, Octavio." Elliott glanced back with a smirk. "You'll only be hired on for weekends. Unless that's too much for you."

"How did you…"

"Being an adult is cool. You get a job, meet a lot of eccen- excen- strange people with their own weirdness who happen to know a little about fake I.D.s." He waved off the question opening the door. "Something I'm sure you understand. At least a little."

Octavio wanted to yell. If it was that easy for this fandom nobody to figure him out, how long would it take his father? That man had money, and lots of it, that he could just throw at people to find these things out for him.

"Why would you want to hire a teen anyways?"

"It's much easier to keep you kids from drinking if I know you're here working. You think you're the first I've done this to?" He said with that smile, which to some might have been charming, that pissed Octavio off.

"And if I refuse?"

"Well you could probably get another I.D. But not before I post this one online and leek your real age to all your fans." This Elliott Witt was pissing him off. He seemed one step ahead. "I'm sure your father would love yo read all about this."

Octavio scowled. What a low punch. At this point, if he wanted to keep his freedom as Octane, he was going to have to give something up. This felt like signing a deal with the devil.

"Fine."

"Welcome to the Paradise Lounge, Oct, let me show you around." Elliott said with a wide grin.


End file.
